Matters of The Heart
by barbaraxann
Summary: Five best friends, four guys & one girl embark on a musical journey where lives will be changed, feelings will surface, and dark secrets will be revealed.
1. Chapter 1

_***Hey guys, this is my first fan fic for Big Time Rush and this is also my first time using this site. Still trying to get the hang of things. Please let me know what you think of the first chapter. Thanks! = ]***_

**Chapter 1**

_**Just Another Day**_

No one can say that their life is perfect, and why is that? There is no such thing as perfect. Sure, something or someone can be almost close to perfect but that something or someone won't ever reach it. That's how I thought about my life. My family is pretty tight-knit; we see each other as a confidant. I can honestly say without being embarrassed that my best friends **ARE** my family; well, next to the other people that I chose to be my best friends. Remember, you can't choose your family but you can certainly choose your best friends. And let me tell you, these guys are something else. Yes, that's right, **GUYS**. I never really got along with girls, mainly because they're full of drama and whatnot. Please, I don't have time for that; save the drama for_ YOUR _mama.

"Bailey!" my mom shouted as she pounded on my door. "You need to get up! You're going to be late for school!"

"Five more minutes." I mumbled.

"Bailey! James is here already!"

"It's okay, Mrs. Perez, I got it." James said as he entered the hall. "Bails... come on, you can't afford to miss today. It's our final exams."

He knocked on the door softly and slowly opened it. He looked around and laughed as he shook his head. My room wasn't the most well kept; every time I cleaned my room, it always ended up going back to the way it was.

"This room needs a little bit of Carlos' touch." he said to himself.

"I think you mean_ A LOT_." I said as I rolled over and stretched. "It needs all the help it can get from Mr. Clean Garcia himself."

I sat up and smiled at James. He and I have been neighbors AND best friends since we were in diapers. We practically grew up together. People have assumed that he and I were an item because we were inseparable; we would just laugh about it. Don't get me wrong, James is an amazing guy who would make an amazing husband, just not with me. He's more like a brother to me than anything.

"So, how long is it going to take you this time?" he asked plopping himself down on my bed. "I'm hoping it's not long like last time."

"Oh give me a break, pretty boy. No one could possibly take as long as you."

He pouted as I got up to gather my towel and clothes.

"I'll only be half an hour at most." I said heading for the door.

"I'll be waiting downstairs then."

As I was showering, I thought about my junior year. I went through some difficult times with a difficult someone; so, that pretty much ruined my whole junior year. Sure, that was two months ago but it's hard to ignore it when you see that person every day. Looking on the bright side though, the guys were always there for me. In a way, they were kind of my body guards. It's kind of funny when I think about it; but very comforting at the same time.

I wiped the steam off of the mirror and looked at myself.

"_Should I wear make-up?_"I thought as I touched my face. I glanced at the clock. "_I still have ten minutes, might as well._"

I decided to wear olive color doll house shorts with a black long sleeve shirt and O'neill's brown Mama Cita slippers. Just as I was putting on make-up, my cell phone started belting out John Mayer.

"Yes, Logie?" I answered.

"Well, hello to you too, Bails." Logan said. "I'm fine, thanks for asking."

"Jeez, someone's Mr. Touchy today; don't get butt hurt, okay?"

"Anyways, me being the thoughtful one, I'm doing a coffee run and I just called to ask if you and James wanted anything from Starbucks."

"Awe, Logie, you're such a sweetheart!" I said smiling. "Wait, let me call James on the other line."

"What the? Bails, I'm in your living room, why don't you just call me up or come down?" James answered.

"Because I have make-up on half of my face, okay? No one can see me like this."

"Make-up?" Logan and James asked at the same time.

"Whoa, is it just me or was that an echo?" James laughed. "Who else is on the line?"

"It's me, Logan." he said. "I called to ask if you guys wanted anything at Starbucks. But it seems like we have a more important issue on our hands."

"Yeah, we do Bails." James agreed.

"What is more important than coffee at eight in the morning? Nothing!"

"Touche, Bails. But Logan and I are talking about that gunk that you're applying on your face."

"What about it?" I asked still confused.

"You don't need it!" Logan exclaimed. "You've got the natural beauty; you're just covering it up with that... stuff."

"Well, I just wanted to try something new." I said in defense. "And trust me, I could use a little bit of touching up."

"No, you don't." James laughed. "I saw you when you woke up and all you needed to do was shower, change and fix your hair. Your face was fine."

"I completely dis..."

"Bails, just please take it off. It's two against one; if we include Carlos and Kendall, it'll be four against one." Logan interrupted me. "Now, what do you guys want at Starbucks?"

"I would like a White Chocolate Creme Frappuccino blended, please." James answered.

"Okay." Logan said. "Bails?"

"I'll have a Vanilla Creme Frappuccino, blended as well."

"Awesome. I'll see you guys at school. And Bails..."

"Yes, yes, yes. I'm taking the 'gunk' off as we speak." I said. "Drive safe Logie."

As I was washing my face I heard a knock at the door.

"Are you decent?" James asked.

"Yes. Everything is covered besides my face." I said as I dried my hands.

"Come on, don't be mad at us. We're just being honest with you."

"I know, I know. I'll get over it eventually."

"Wait, are you PMSing? Is this what it is?" he asked backing off. "Cause if it is, I'll get on my knees and ask for your forgiveness."

"No, it's not." I said laughing. "I'm not that bad when I'm PMSing."

"That's easy for you to say; you don't have to deal with yourself the whole time."

"Wait... what? James, that didn't even make sense. Of course I have..."

"Well, we best get going. Look at the time. Tick tock, tick tock." he said running out of the room.

"_Just another day in the life of Bailey Perez._" I thought laughing to myself as I left my room. "_You just got to love these guys._"


	2. Chapter 2

_***Hey guys! So, here's the second chapter! Please review and let me know what you think! Thanks! = ]***_

**Chapter 2  
**__

_**A Good Different**_

As I headed downstairs, I could hear my parents and James talking.

"I thought you'd be waiting outside in the car or at least half way down the street already." I laughed as I kissed my parents.

"Well, you thought wrong." James said in defense.

"What did he do this time?" A familiar voice asked behind me.

"Dean?" I screamed turning around.

"None other than your big brother." Dean smiled with open arms. "I missed you little sis."

I gave my brother a big bear hug. I haven't seen him in months. He recently joined the military, following in my dad's footsteps. Well, my dad is a retired Airman and Dean decided to join the Marines. He's such an adrenaline junkie that he chose Infantry as his MOS.

"I missed you, too! How come I didn't know that you were coming back?"

"Eh, I wanted to surprise you."

"It was so hard keeping it a secret from you." my mother laughed. "You know how we tell each other everything."

"I knew something was up with you." I laughed.

"She kept bugging me." my father complained. "I couldn't stand it."

"Oh hush it." she said as she playfully smacked his arm.

"Anyways, I'm curious to know what James did this time." Dean asked again.

"Oh, he assumed that I was PMSing." I said rolling my eyes.

"Well, what else could it be?" James asked.

"Uh, crankiness. I could be very irritable in the morning and you should know. I've only known you for, oh, practically my _whole_ life!"

"Dude, never assume that a girl is PMSing just because she's not in a good mood." Dean laughed. "It'll get you into **MAJOR** trouble."

"I have to agree." my dad said. "Trust me, I've been with Mandy for almost 15 years."

"What's that supposed to mean?" my mom asked trying to sound offended. "Nah, I know what you mean."

"Besides James, I think Bails could take you." Dean confessed.

"_What?_" James exclaimed. "No way!"

Dean walked up to him and patted him on the shoulder. "Your face is just too pretty."

"Very funny." James said sarcastically.

"Okay, okay." I laughed. "I don't want to be a buzz kill, but we do have to attend a thing called school."

"Unless you two want to skip." my mom winked. "It'll be our little secret."

"Seriously mom?"

"No, you two go on ahead." my dad said. "Your mom and I have a busy day."

After James and I said our goodbye's, we got into my car and were on our way to school. I decided to play_ Footloose by Kenny Loggins_.

"This song makes me want to get up and dance my butt off." I laughed dancing along to the music, but still paying attention to the road. "Even if it is _WAY_ before our time."

"I know Bails." James laughed. "You only told me a hundred times."

We pulled up into the parking lot and immediately spotted Logan, Carlos and Kendall sitting down at a table under a shady tree.

"You two are fashionably late." Logan said.

"Yeah, sorry about that." I apologized. "Dean came back."

"Dean? No way!" Kendall said.

"Wow, haven't seen him in months." Carlos said. "He must be built."

"Even more than before." James laughed. "But still the same old Dean."

"We should definitely hang out with him." Logan suggested. "Before he's needed somewhere else."

"I couldn't agree more." I said sitting down. "Is that my drink?"

"Yes ma'am." Logan answered. "Here's yours, James."

"Thank you, Mr. Mitchell."

"Mmmm, I swear, this tastes like heaven." I smiled as I savored my first sip. "Thanks again, Logie."

"You're welcome." he said.

"Hey, if you know what heaven tastes like, then you must be an angel." Carlos winked.

The four of us stared at him in disbelief.

"That was _THE_ worst pick up line,** EVER **Carlos." Kendall laughed.

"Dude, I wasn't even trying! I was just joking." he pouted as he put on his helmet. "Jeez, tough crowd tonight."

"It's okay Carlos." I laughed. "I'll give you two points for that; one for trying and another because you're cute."

"That's all I get? How about at least four; one for trying, two for being cute and one for my helmet?"

"Whatever makes you sleep well at night." James said rolling his eyes. "Just don't ever say that line again."

"Scout's honor." Carlos said holding up his hand.

"So, who's looking forward to final exams today?" Logan asked smiling.

"Only you." the four of us said simultaneously.

"You know what that sounds like?" he laughed. "It sounds like people who_ didn't _study!"

"We did too study." Kendall said in defense. "Right guys?"

James, Carlos and I glanced away awkwardly.

"Okay, maybe not. But still, luck is on our side."

"It could be." Logan laughed. "Let's hope it is."

"Hey Bailey, you're looking mighty fine today." a voice whistled behind us.

"Beat it Brad before I kick your ass." Carlos threatened standing up.

"I'd like to see you try, midget." Brad's friend, Sam said.

"He was talking to Brad, Tweedle-Dee." Logan said.

"Sit down, Carlos." Kendall said. "Just walk away Brad, nothing to see here."

"That's where you're wrong Mr. Knight." Brad laughed. "I'm looking at you losers scoping out my sloppy seconds."

"Ohhh, you just got served!" Sam laughed as he high-fived his twin brother Dan.

"That is it." James said standing up. "What the hell is your problem?"

"Guys!" I shouted. "All of you just sit down; this is my problem."

I stood up and turned to face Brad. "What the fuck do you want?"

"Just one more night with you." he said moving closer.

"I wouldn't want to be with you even if you were the last guy on the planet." I laughed. "I'd rather die."

"It didn't seem that way when we were dating."

"Yeah, that's because I didn't know how big of a jerk you were." I spat. "Just leave me the fuck alone and be on your merry way with Tweedle-Dee and Tweedle-Dum."

"You don't scare me." he said with a scowl.

"So? I obviously didn't arouse you either. Little Brad had a tough time getting up."

"That's because you're not even hot."

"If your definition of hot is someone who degrades herself by dressing like a skank and giving it up to the first guy who gives her the time of day, then yeah, I'd rather _NOT_ be hot, thank you very much."

He just stood there looking dumbfounded, at a loss for words.

"Did she use too many big words for you, Brad?" Carlos teased. "Does anyone here speak Caveman language?"

"Shut the fuck up, midget." Brad spat. "Let's go Sam and Dan."

As soon as they left, the bell rang for homeroom.

"Are you okay, Bails?" Kendall asked putting his arm around her shoulders.

"Yeah, I'm just dandy."

"I can't believe you dated that asshole." James said in disbelief.

"Trust me, I can't either." I sighed. "Out of all my relationships, the one with him is the only one I regret."

"But you're okay, right?" Logan asked concerned. "We know how much he put you through."

"I'm fine guys, really. I just wish he'd stop harrassing me."

"Don't worry, Bails." Carlos said picking up his backpack and mine. "We have the same classes together, I'll make sure he doesn't bother you."

"You sure you got this Carlos?" Kendall asked.

"Yup, I got it." he replied knocking on his helmet.

We all said our goodbye's and headed to our classes.

"Thanks again, Carlos." I smiled. "I really appreciate it."

"It's my pleasure." he replied as he put his arm around my waist. "Let's get to class before we're late."

Walking to class together, it felt like everyone's eyes were on us. I mean, Carlos, in my opinion is fairly good-looking; he's a piece of eye candy. I've always thought about him that way. Out of all the guys, he's the only one I can see myself actually dating. All four of them make me laugh and I certainly feel secure around them, but with Carlos... it was different.

"_It's a good different." _I thought as I smiled at him. He smiled back with that gleam in his eyes. I could feel myself blush a little. "_I hope he didn't see that._"


	3. Chapter 3

_***Hey, guys! Sorry it took a while for me to post this, I've been busy with work and all. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter! Please, let me know what you think! I'm also contemplating about doing a Carlos POV. I bet you guys are wondering what's going on through his head, right? Lol. And I also want to thank SterlingStarStuck for her reviews! It's really helping me out and I definitely appreciate it! Also, thanks to Starangel5593 and BTRfan4ev! Have a good one! = ]***_

**Chapter 3**

**Something More**

As Carlos and I walked through the hall, Kendall, James and Logan were still a few feet behind us.

"Hey guys." Kendall said as he poked their arms. "We've been talking about how Bailey needs a new boyfriend, right?"

"Well, not technically a new boyfriend." Logan said rolling his eyes. "Just someone to keep her company, I guess."

"Yeah." James agreed. "How do we know Bailey's ready for a new relationship? What kind of best friends would we be if we rushed her into something she wasn't ready for?"

"I totally agree with you guys," Kendall said. "But look at her and Carlos."

The three of them looked up and observed, paying close attention.

"Wait... you're thinking of Carlos for Bailey?" James asked surprised. "Really?"

"Come on, Kendall." Logan laughed. "I thought I'd at least be selected before Carlos. I mean, I'm smart."

"Shut up, Logie." James said. "You'd probably bore her to death."

"Well, if that were the case, then shouldn't she be dead by now?" he retaliated.

"Logan!" Kendall gasped. "Shut up! Don't say that!"

"I didn't mean it!" he exclaimed. "You **_KNOW_** I didn't mean it like that!"

"Knock on wood man, knock on wood!" James panicked.

Logan ran over to the nearest door and knocked quickly. As he turned around and sighed, a teacher opened the door.

"Yes?" she asked.

Embarrassed, he quickly turned back, almost tripping over his own feet. "Oh, I'm sorry." he stuttered. "I said some things that I didn't mean about someone and... and..." He turned around and ran as fast as his skinny legs could take him. Kendall and James were on the other side of the hall laughing their butts off.

"What a dork!" James laughed covering his mouth.

"You know, I feel bad for him some times." Kendall said, slowly calming down. "For such a good student, he gets into trouble alot."

"And most of the time it's our fault." he agreed. "Well, that's Logan for you."

"Anyways, getting back to Bails and Carlos, what do you think, James?" he asked.

"Well, I wouldn't be against it."

"But?"

"But I wouldn't be so gung-ho for it, either." James confessed.

"Why's that?" Kendall asked in curiosity.

"I mean, it's _CARLOS_. The guy gets distracted very easily. We want someone who would pay attention to Bails, not push her to the back."

"I get what you mean."

"And come on, when was the last time Carlos had a girlfriend?" James asked raising his eyebrows.

"Now that I think of it, I don't think he ever had one." Kendall said putting his finger on his chin. "Well, I still think they should try."

"Oh crap, we're going to have to teach him the ways of a boyfriend." James sighed. "Right?"

"No, we don't. We should just let things take it's course. You never know, Bails might actually like him for, well, him."

"Let's hope so." James said as him and Kendall walked into their homeroom.

* * *

"Let's go, let's go. Time's a-wastin'." We heard our teacher, Mr. White, say as Carlos and I walked in. "As soon as you sit down, I highly recommend that you use your time wisely by studying for your final exams."

Carlos and I made our way to the back where our seats were. I looked to my right and caught a glimpse of Brad. He winked at me and kissed the air. I rolled my eyes and mouthed the words, "Fuck off." I looked over at Carlos and I could tell he saw what Brad had done; he was tense and glared at him with fury in his eyes.

"So, what did you want to study first?" I asked Carlos as I sat down.

He handed me my bag and sat down, not taking his eyes off of Brad. "I don't know."

"Carlos, look at me." He was hesitant of looking away, but he did anyway. "Just let it go, okay?"

"How can I?" he complained. "No girl deserves to be treated like this; YOU especially don't deserve to be treated like this. I mean, I never had a girlfriend, but it doesn't take a genius to know that you have to treat a girl with respect. It's not in the 'Boyfriend Handbook'."

"That is the sweetest thing a guy could ever say to... wait, there's a 'Boyfriend Handbook'?"

"No," he stuttered. "I was just ranting."

"I know." I laughed. "Seriously though, that is the sweetest thing... wait, wait, you never had a girlfriend?"

"Well, no..." he said, suddenly finding an interest in his hands. He looked up at me and gave me an embarrassed smile. "I never had a girlfriend."

I sat back and looked at him; I mean, REALLY looked at him. It's hard to believe that someone like him has never had a girlfriend. I mean, it's understandable that he's shy, but he's so outgoing in many different ways. He's also funny; he can turn the worst situation into a funny one. For instance, there was a time in sixth grade when I accidentally fell and ripped my pants in the back. Carlos had witnessed everything and didn't laugh once, but the big bully called Butch did and started laughing. Carlos immediately came to my rescue and shut Butch up, surprisingly for the rest of the year; Butch never looked at or said a word to me. After helping me up, he grabbed the back of his pants and ripped it, well enough to see his Hulk boxers. Fortunately, I had a jacket stashed away in my locker, but Carlos didn't. He didn't seem to care, though. He walked proudly through the halls, flashing a smile to everyone around him. He was my hero that day.

"Bails?" he said, his voice barely audible. "Earth to Bails?"

"Oh, sorry." I said, embarrassed.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I was just thinking."

"About?"

"Honestly, about how difficult it is to believe that you never had a girlfriend."

"Why is that so hard to believe?" he laughed. "I mean, it's ME."

"Come on Carlos, please don't do that to yourself."

"Do what? I'm not.."

"Stop there." I interrupted. "You're capable of being a great boyfriend, seriously. I mean, you're..."

"Ms. Perez and Mr. Garcia, I hope you two are using your time wisely." Mr. White said. "I don't see books on your desks."

Carlos and I faced forward and took out our notes. I tried to concentrate on studying, but I couldn't stop thinking about Carlos. I glanced over at him; he looked like he was studying because his brows were furrowed and he had that confused look on his face. I couldn't help but to laugh, he looked so cute. When I glanced back at him, he had obviously heard me giggling because he was looking straight at me with a small smile. At that moment, I could feel my cheeks heating up and quickly turned away.

"Hey!" he whispered.

I turned around and a ball of paper hit my forehead. "I'm so sorry!" he whispered and quickly turned away embarrassed.

I picked up the ball of paper laughing to myself and carefully opened it. The note read, "_I hope you know we're not finished talking about this. Talk more about it later?_"

I wrote down, "_I know, Carlos. And a head's up would've helped, jeez. I probably received a paper cut from this so-called ball of paper. I need to teach you how to make a smoother one. You should have just made a paper puck, since hockey is your forte and all. = P_"

I rolled the paper into a ball, a smooth one of course and instead of saying something, I just threw it at him. Hey, he deserved it. After he read it, he looked up at me and stuck out his tongue.

"_Oh, Carlos._" I thought as I laughed. I turned around and looked at my notes. "_I can't believe I'm feeling this way. Could Carlos and I really be... something more? I definitely need to talk to James about this._"


	4. Chapter 4

_***Hey, guys! Thanks again for all the reviews! I really appreciate it! A few of you are taken aback by Bailey liking Carlos; assuming that she should be falling for James because of their history together. Well, I do agree with you on that one. I'm still not sure how this story is going to end, and trust me, it's not any time soon. The way I'm writing this, it looks like it'll take at least 25 - 30 chapters to end the story. And that's the LEAST. So, I hope you're ready to read more! = ] Hope you enjoy this one!***_

**Chapter 4**

_**Only Time Will Tell**_

Carlos and I ended up studying together for our math exam. I tried to concentrate as much as I could, but with him by my side, it was a bit difficult if you ask me. Sure, days ago if we were sitting together, it wouldn't have bothered me as much, but now... things have changed. And frankly, I'm liking this change, it's a good one.

After homeroom ended, we had a five minute passing time to get to our next class. I picked up my bag and hesistantly got up from my seat.

"What's the matter?" Carlos laughed. "Is your butt glued to the seat or what? I promise I stopped doing that trick years ago."

"Shut up, Carlos." I whined. "I don't want to go to math class."

"Come on, Bails. Let's get this over and done with."

"But I don't want."

"Jeez, I know you hate math, but this is the worst you've ever complained." he laughed.

"I don't want to take an exam." I grunted getting up. "You know, I am perfectly fine with general math; adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing. What do we need Algebra, Geometry and Calculus for?"

I looked at Carlos and you can tell he was stifling his laughter.

"I'll shut up now." I said laughing. "You're right, let's get this over and done with."

We exited the classroom and entered the hallway. Everyone was rushing to get to their next class.

"Wow, where's the fire at?" Carlos asked observing everyone.

"We've got some eager beavers." I laughed. "Well, at least they're taking the exams seriously."

"Hey, we're taking them seriously, too. We're just not so worked up about it."

"I guess so."

"Man, I can't believe junior year is almost over. Time goes by so fast." he sighed.

"I know, I can't believe it either." I agreed. I looked up and spotted Kendall, James and Logan standing in front of their lockers. "Hey, there's the guys! Let's go check them."

"Hey Bails, you're okay right?" Logan said walking up quickly. "You haven't been diagnosed with a deathly illness, fallen down a flight of stairs or possibly stopped breathing, right?"

"Uh, Logan, as much as I appreciate you being concerned about me..."

"Just answer yes or no!" he panicked.

"No, Logan." I said slowly. "The answer is no."

"Good, that's good!" he laughed as he threw his arms around me. "I wouldn't have it any other way!"

I looked at the guys and gave them the "_has he lost his mind_" gesture behind Logan's back, trying to find an answer to his insane outbreak.

"Well, I'd love to chat with you guys, but I need to get to science class." Logan said releasing me. "See you guys during break!"

At his departure, the bell rang.

"Well, I better go catch up with Logan." Kendall said. "See you guys later."

"Let's go, Bails." Carlos said starting to walk in the direction of our next class. "We're going to be late."

"One second." I said pulling James to the side. "I really need to talk to you about something."

"What is it about?" he asked concerned. "Is it something serious? Did Brad do something again?"

"It's not about Brad."

"What is it about?"

"I'll tell you later."

"Dang it, Bails. You need to tell me what it's about now or I won't be able to concentrate on my exam." he whined.

"Do you really need to pull that card?" I asked rolling my eyes.

"Yeah, pretty much." he smiled.

"Well, it's about..." I hesitated.

"Bails..."

"Okay, it's about Carlos."

"What about him?"

"Dude! We need to get to class! I'll talk to you when I can, okay?" I whispered.

"Okay, okay." he said. "Bye Bails."

I ran over to Carlos. "Let's go, time to tackle this math exam."

It felt like eternity during my math exam. I could have sworn the clock was teasing me. I'd look up, take note of the time and get back to my exam; when I felt like five minutes passed, I'd look up again and only _**ONE **_minute went by. I felt like pulling out my hair. All these formulas and equations could make a girl go crazy.

"_Okay, okay,_" I thought as I bit my lip. "_Get ahold of yourself, Bails. Just concentrate._"

I looked over at Carlos and smiled. It looked like he was struggling more than me. He looked at me, gave me an uncomfortable smile with a thumbs up and went back to his exam.

"Finally!" he exclaimed quickly exiting the classroom. "It's over!"

Everyone looked at him with wary eyes and quickly walked away. "You better simmer down, people are starting to look at you like you've gone insane." I laughed.

"I really don't care. We just tackled one of the most difficult exams of all time!"

"Just one?"

"Hellooo," he said widening his eyes. "We still have our science exam."

"Oh, crap! I completely forgot about science." I said. "Eeewww."

"Hey, can we stop by my locker first? I need to get some stuff."

"What stuff?"

"Well, I'm getting a bit hungry and I have some granola bars stashed in my locker." he explained while we walked towards his locker. "Would you like some?"

"Sure." I smiled. "Wait, how long have they been in there?"

"Do you really need to ask me that, Bails? I **AM** the cleanest one out of the guys. I would surely get rid of spoiled food."

"You've got a point there, Mr. Garcia."

"And I wouldn't dare feed you anything bad, seriously." he smiled. He entered his combination and tugged open his locker. I immediately saw the picture of all five of us from this past summer. We hung out at my pool and the guys stayed over in our guest room the whole summer. Of course we went to the mall, did some in-door rock climbing, played some sports and all that good stuff. It was the best summer yet.

"Hey, Carlos." a voice said behind us. I was brought back from my thoughts. It was Lexi, one of our classmates who we've known for a while.

"Oh, hey Lexi." Carlos smiled. "What's up?"

"Oh, nothing." she laughed. "Just wanted to say hi to you and see how you've been."

"I've been good. A bit stressed from exams, but good nonetheless."

"That's good to hear. I'm glad you're doing good."

I looked back and forth from Carlos and Lexi, feeling a little bit awkward. I'm not sure if Carlos realizes it, but Lexi always had a thing for him. Every special occasion such as Valentine's, Christmas and his birthday, she'd give him a gift. He'd only see it as her being nice and considerate, nothing more.

I cleared my throat to kill the silence. "Hey, Lexi. How's everything?"

"Oh, hey Bailey." she said slightly giving me a disgusted look, but smiled afterwards. "Everything's good. Just dandy." She turned her attention back to Carlos who was clearly distracted by something in his locker.

"I'm good, too. Thanks for asking." I said rolling my eyes.

"Hey you two!" Logan said walking up to us with Kendall and James. "We were waiting for you guys at our usual meeting spot."

"Yeah, sorry. It seems like we're a bit distracted." I said nudging my head towards Lexi, who was in a trance by Carlos.

"Dude, how big is your locker?" James asked Carlos. "Seems like your head has been in there for quite a while now."

"Oh, sorry." Carlos said taking his head out and looking at James. "I found a dirty spot in here and I'm trying to clean it up."

"Well, since you're in a cleaning mood, why don't you come over to my house later on today and help me clean my room?" I asked hopefully.

"Sure, Bails. That's no problem." he smiled.

Lexi shot me a dirty look and turned back to Carlos. "Well, I better get going, I need to prepare for my next exam. Bye Carlos!" She quickly walked away with her nose in the air.

"Goodbye to you too, Lexi." we all laughed.

"Oh, I'd love to give her a reason to stick her nose in the air." I said clenching my fists.

"Well, well Bailey," Kendall teased. "I never took you as the fiesty type."

"You've got me all hot and bothered now." Logan said jokingly.

"Oh shut up, will you?" I laughed. "I'm sorry, but I really don't like that girl."

"You don't say." James jokingly gasped. "I wouldn't have known."

I punched his arm lightly. "Get over yourselves!"

"Get over what?" Carlos asked, completely confused. "What did I miss?"

"Carlos," Kendall said as he held his shoulder. "You do know that Lexi digs you, right?"

"Say what?" he asked with his goofy smile. "No, she doesn't."

"Yes, she does." we said together.

"Dude, she shrugged the guys and I off." I said firmly. "Especially me."

"Yeah, I think she doesn't like Bails." James said.

"Passionately despises Bails." Kendall chimed in.

"Practically hates Bails." Logan interjected.

"Wow, thanks for all the love." I said sarcastically. "My heart's practically bursting."

"Well, if that's the case, then I really can't date someone like that." Carlos shrugged. "That's just the way it is."

"What do you mean?" Kendall asked.

"Any girl that wants to be with me_** HAS **_to get along with my buds. If they can't, well, tough luck."

"Aww, really?" James said sweetly.

"That's the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me." Logan said pretending to cry.

"I'm getting a bromance vibe." I laughed. "Should I leave you guys alone?"

"Seriously, you guys." Carlos whined. "I'm not joking around. Besides, I've got my eye on someone else."

"Oooh." the guys murmured. "Who?"

"Don't worry about it."

"Yeah, who is it?" I said nudging him.

He just looked at me and smiled. "Wouldn't you like to know?"

I could feel the guys' stares on Carlos and I, which caused the blood to rush to my cheeks. Fortunately the bell rang, letting us know it was time to go. We all said our goodbye's and Carlos and I headed to our next class, social studies.

I was practically dancing inside. "_Was Carlos implying that it was me he had his eye on?"_ I thought as we entered the classroom._ "This is tearing me up inside; I really need to know if Carlos feels the same way about me. Only time will tell._"


	5. Chapter 5

_***Hey, guys! Sorry it took me a while to post up another chapter. Thanks again for all the awesome reviews! I really appreciate it! Oh, before I forget, I made a cover art for my story and I've been trying to post it on my profile but it's not showing up. If it's possible, I'll just leave a link to it or something. It's not the best, but it'll do! Lol. Check my profile for the link! **__**Hope you enjoy this chapter! I'm excited to write the next one! = ] P.S.: I do not own the song Bailey sings, it's Edge of Desire by John Mayer. Just FYI. [ ;***_

**Chapter 5  
**

**Naturally  
**

Carlos and I quickly walked in and took our seats. Luckily, we were part of the few who were early. I started shaking my right leg up and down and tapping my fingers on the desk.

"You okay, Bails?" Carlos asked concerned.

"Not really." I confessed. "I don't remember Mr. Norris saying anything about an exam."

"That's because I didn't say there was one." Mr. Norris said walking in. "Good afternoon, Ms. Perez and Mr. Garcia."

"Good afternoon, sir." we said.

"And good afternoon to everyone else who's paying attention." he said as he stood before his desk.

"Good afternoon, sir." a few mumbled.

"Jeez, calm down. Everyone is so excited!" he said sarcastically.

Carlos and I giggled to ourselves. Mr. Norris was one of the coolest teachers we had. He treated us like we were on the same level with him. In other words, he didn't treat us like children, unless we gave him a reason to. I was never fond of social studies. I mean, it's interesting, but it could be quite boring sometimes. That all changed when I took his class.

"Anyways, the final project I gave to you guys WAS the exam." Now, everyone was paying attention to him.

"But, what if we didn't do the final project?" someone asked.

"I was getting to that part." Mr. Norris laughed. "Since I'm one of the most awesome teacher you guys will ever come across, I made an exam based on the last section we went over AND you can use your notes on this one."

I heard sighs of relief from everyone behind me.

"Were you and I the only ones who did the final project?" I whispered to Carlos.

"And since Ms. Perez and Mr. Garcia were the only ones who turned in the final project AND did a splendid job on it, they now have the rest of class to do whatever they want." Mr. Norris winked at us. "Heck, they can even leave the classroom if they wanted to."

"I guess that answers your question." Carlos softly laughed leaning over to me. "I'm glad we paired up for the final project."

"I know," I sighed. "I probably would've been in their shoes if I didn't have the motivation to do the project."

"So, what did you want to do?" he asked as Mr. Norris passed out the exams. "Did you want to leave? I don't think we'll be able to talk while they're doing the exam."

"I guess we can. We could probably hang out in the library or in my car."

"We should get a pass from Mr. Norris, just in case someone questions us being out of class."

After getting our pass, Carlos and I grabbed our bags and headed out into the hall.

"It's so freaking quiet, you could hear a pin hit the floor." I laughed silently. "Is that scary for you? Because it's definitely scary for me."

"I couldn't agree with you more. Imagine if we were to head into the library." Carlos said. "We should probably just hang out in your car."

"Good idea."

We made it to the parking lot without any problems. It seemed like there were no school aides around; they were probably in their lounge counting down the minutes till school was over.

"I am blasting the air-con." I said closing my door. "It's hot."

I turned the key and my car roared to life. I turned the dial for the air-con to the highest number, five. At first the air coming out was hot, but it quickly cooled down. At that moment, I stopped and sniffed the air. I looked over at Carlos and sniffed again. It was him that I was smelling. It wasn't a bad smell, not at all. His body heat intensified the scent of the soap and shampoo he used. He smelled... _AMAZING_. I breathed in deeply and smiled as I exhaled.

"Do I stink or something?" he asked attempting to smell himself.

I quickly faced forward. "No, you don't stink at all." I laughed embarrassed.

"But you were sniffing me, right?"

"Say _whaaaaat_? Nah, I wasn't sniffing you."

"Yes you were." he smiled. "Just admit it, Bails." He leaned over and started poking my side playfully.

"Carlos!" I laughed. "I wasn't sniffing you!"

I kept squirming trying to smack his hands away from me. I could feel him breathing down my neck, which told me his face was close to mine. I finally had a good grip on his hands.

"Okay, okay!" I calmed down, turning to face him. The minute I turned, his nose and mine were practically touching. We were both breathing really hard from laughing. I looked into his eyes and I could tell he was thinking about something. He began to lean in closer when I decided to quickly lick the tip of his nose.

"Bails!" he exclaimed laughing. "You're nasty!"

"You set yourself up for that one, silly." I laughed as I reclined my seat back. "I'm so tired."

Carlos did the same and rested his hands behind his head, his helmet falling on the back seat. "I know how you feel."

"I almost forgot, we need some music." I said connecting my iPod to the AUX cord. "What did you want to listen to?"

"It doesn't matter."

I decided to play _John Mayer_; you could just lay back and relax to most of his songs._ Edge of Desire_ softly drifted from the stereo, causing us to close our eyes.

"_Don't say a word, just come over and lie here with me. Cause I'm just about to set fire to everything I see._" I sang with a smile. "_I want you so bad I'll go back on the things I believe. There I just said it, I'm scared you'll forget about me._"

"I'm so feeling this song right now." Carlos said sounding drowsy. "I think that's a bad thing."

"Yeah, you're right." I laughed. "We should probably sit up or something."

"I forgot to ask if you were being serious about me helping you clean your room." he said after adjusting his seat. "Or were you just saying that to make Lexi jealous?"

"Well, I guess both."

"Why do you need to make her jealous? There's no need for that."

"Oh, don't even go there mister." I laughed. "Look who's talking."

"What do you mean by that?"

"You know what I'm talking about."

"Wait, are you talking about the first time you and Brad met?"

"DUH!" I smiled.

"I wasn't trying to make him jealous." he said in defense.

"Yes, you were. You talked about how we hung out ALL the time; in my house, in my room, in the pool... you get the picture."

"Well..." he stuttered.

"Exactly." I said. "Case closed."

"What did you see in that asshole anyway?"

"It's not like I knew he was going to turn out that way. There was no label on his head saying, 'Asshole Alert!' I wish dating was that easy."

"What would my label say?" he asked, pondering his question.

"It's hard to sum it up in words." I said furrowing my eyebrows.

"Okay, then, tell me what you think of me. We never finished this talk in homeroom."

"Well, first off, you're a really great friend. You're always there whenever the guys and I need you. You know where your loyalty lies and you never let anyone get away with degrading your family or friends."

"Keep going." he smiled, listening intently.

"Jeez, someone's enjoying this a little TOO much." I laughed. Suddenly, my phone started blurting out Incubus. It was a text from James.

The text read, "_Meet me my locker. Dyin 2 kno bout wat u told me. Class ends in 5min. xoxo JD_"

"Who's that?" Carlos asked trying to sneak a peek at the text.

"It's James. He wants me to meet him at his locker, probably before we head to the cafeteria for lunch. Class is ending in five minutes; we should head over there."

As we started walking towards school, the bell for lunch rang.

"Hey, we'll meet you guys in the cafeteria, okay? I'm going to go meet James." I said to Carlos as I began to run.

"Okay!" he called after me.

* * *

"You didn't need to run." James laughed as I approached behind him.

"How did you know it was me?" I asked breathing hard.

"I could hear your slippers hitting your feet. Why would you run in those? You're crazy."

"I apologize for my bad choice in foot wear, Mr. Diamond; I didn't know I was going to run today. Did you want me to do it over again?"

"Dang Bails, I was just kidding." he pouted. "And I was concerned about you, you could have fallen you know."

"I know, I know."

"Anyways, what were you going to tell me about Carlos?"

"Well," I hesitated. "I really think I'm starting to like him."

"Really?" he asked surprised. "And this is for serious?"

"Yeah, I'm serious. I like him."

"I see."

"What's wrong, James? You don't like the idea of me liking Carlos?" I asked, taken aback.

"Not really." he confessed. "He's a good guy and all, but I don't think he'll make a good boyfriend."

"Wow, seriously? You're not even going to give him the benefit of the doubt? That's low, James. Especially for you."

"That's not even the case." he said firmly. "It's just, you know how easily distracted Carlos can get, right?

"Well, yeah, I've seen him do that."

"Exactly. You need someone who would give you their undivided attention."

"You make it seem like I _**crave**_ attention." I said, offended.

"You're getting it all wrong, Bails!" he said frustrated.

"You didn't even make me finish my sentence earlier. I have seen Carlos get distracted easily, but to be honest, when it comes to me and him being alone together, he pays attention to me."

"I'm sorry, Bails." he sighed. "I should have just shut my mouth."

"Yeah, that was probably the best thing." I agreed. "And I'm not mad at you; I understand that you're just looking out for me and I absolutely love you for that."

"Despite what I just said earlier, I hope you know that I am happy for you. I only want the best for you.

I threw my arms around him and hugged him tight. "Thanks."

"So, Carlos..." he smiled. "I can't believe you like that hockey head."

"If he's a hockey head, then you and the others are as well." I laughed.

"That's true." he said. "Anyways, have you told him you liked him?"

"No, I haven't felt the need to... yet."

"Did you want me to tell him? Give him a hint? Anything?"

"Not at all." I said as we walked towards the cafeteria. "I want it to happen naturally."

"_Yeah,_" I thought, looking back on the moment in the car. "_It should come naturally._"


	6. Chapter 6

_***Hey, guys! Again, as always, thank you so much for your reviews! I really appreciate it! Anyways, this chapter happens to be the longest one out of the others, so I hope you enjoy it! I'm planning on making the next chapter Carlos' POV, so we'll see how that goes. Have a good one! = ] And no, I don't own Big Time Rush; I wish I did. = [***_

**Chapter 6**

**Lucky Girl**

The whole time I was sitting at the table with the guys, I mainly kept to myself. I would glance up every now and then and laugh at a joke or two, but I was too busy thinking about everything that had happened. I pushed my food around, making it seem like I was eating. I didn't want the guys to notice and give me a long lecture about it. I couldn't stop thinking about how James reacted over Carlos. I know I shouldn't jump to conclusions, but it really bothered me. I know his reason is purely innocent, thinking about me and my feelings; but I know James, and somethings telling me there's more to it.

I glanced up at him in front of me. It seemed like I was looking into a mirror, because he was doing the exact same thing I was. He had his head down, concentrating on his food, and resting his chin on his left palm. It was so unlike him to be acting this way. James was always smiling, flashing his pearly whites whenever he got the chance to. Sure, he could be full of himself at times, but when it comes down to it, he definitely has a soft spot for helping others.

I was brought back to reality when I felt my phone vibrate. I pulled it out of my pocket and saw that it was a text from Kendall. "U ok Bails? U kno I'm always here if u need 2 talk. = ] 3"

I smiled to myself as I replied to his text. "Thanx Kendall. I really appreciate ur concern. I'm ok, jus thinkin. = ] Luv u like a fat kid luvs cake!"

I picked my head up and looked over at Kendall. He looked at me and smiled. In a way, he was like the "leader" of the pack; he was the one who kept all of us grounded whenever we were in a state of panic and would lend an ear if one was ever needed. I could trust Kendall with my deepest and darkest secret, knowing that he wouldn't judge me or tell the other guys about it. You would expect me to trust James more with things like that since I've known him my whole life, and I do; but there was one thing, just one thing I couldn't tell him. Only Kendall and myself know and that's how I want it to be.

"You okay?" Carlos asked, putting his arm around my shoulders.

I looked at him confused. "Oh, yeah. I'm good." I flashed him a quick smile to reassure him that I was indeed okay.

"I guess you don't have much of an appetite today." Logan said. "You usually eat the pudding."

"Yeah, I know. Did any of you guys want it?"

"I do!" Carlos said without hesitation. Logan hit the back of his head. "Uh, I mean, if that's okay with you."

"It's okay, Carlos." I laughed handing him the pudding. "I was the one who offered."

He quickly devoured the pudding, three minutes tops. "Dang Carlos, slow down would you?" James laughed, clearly in a better mood. "If you choke, Logan will have to give you mouth-to-mouth."

"There is no way in hell I'm putting my lips on his." Logan disagreed. "We'll have Bails do it."

"In that case, I want to choke." Carlos laughed as he nudged me.

"Whatever Carlos." I laughed shaking my head. "I'll just call our lovely nurse to come and resuscitate you."

"Ms. Wilkinson?" Kendall burst out laughing. "Oh yeah, she's Carlos' type."

"Most definitely!" James and Logan laughed.

"Ha, ha, ha." Carlos said sarcastically. "Laugh it up guys, laugh it up."

"You like them mature and wise, eh?" I said nudging Carlos.

"Ms. Wilkinson is **WAY** past mature." Kendall laughed. "She's old enough to be his grandma."

"Hello, you don't have to be _OLD_ to be mature and wise," Carlos said. "Look at Bails."

I slowly turned to him and glared. "I don't know if I'm supposed to take that as a compliment or be offended."

The other guys immediately froze and looked at Carlos and I. He was looking at me with remorse in his eyes. It was so hard for me to look at him with a straight face; I knew he didn't say that to offend me. In a way, I thought it was sweet of him to say. Most girls our age only had air in their heads and acted like little kids. I just loved making the guys squirm when they think they did or said something wrong; it was adorable.

He laughed awkwardly. "Bails, you know I didn't say it to offend you." he stuttered. "Please don't hit me!" He quickly picked up his arms, using them as a shield for his face.

I looked over at Kendall and he held up a piece of bologna. He mimicked himself throwing the bologna to Carlos' face. I looked at James and Logan and they flashed a devious smile followed by a thumb's up.

"Carlos," I said. I reached over and he flinched at my touch. "I'm not going to hit you. I know you didn't mean it that way."

He moved his arms and exhaled a sigh of relief. He was about to say something when Kendall threw the bologna and smacked him in his face. Carlos slowly turned to face Kendall, the bologna clinging to his face. "What did you do that for?" he yelled. He was getting up to plunge at Kendall when I grabbed his arm and forced him to sit down.

James, Logan, Kendall and I started laughing hysterically. Carlos looked at us back and forth, slowly calming down. "Okay guys, I know it was funny but it wasn't_ THAT_ funny." he said, blushing a little.

"Carlos?" I asked, still laughing.

"Yeah?"

"You do know that the bologna is still stuck to your cheek, right?"

"What? I thought it..." he stuttered as he touched his cheeks. "Fuck, I didn't know. I thought it just fell after it smacked me." He started laughing as he took off the bologna and threw it back to Kendall.

Five minutes later, the bell rang.

"So, what did you guys want to do next?" James asked. "I mean, since we already attended our last class for the day."

"Oh, I know what we can do." Kendall said getting up to dump his tray. "We can go to the hockey rink and practice for the big game."

"No kidding." Logan said. "How come I didn't think of that?"

"If we're going to practice, I need to go and get my things." Carlos said as he wiped his face clean of the bologna. "Is someone willing to take me home?"

"I already have my stuff here." James said.

"So do I." Kendall and Logan said simultaneously.

"I can take you Carlos." I offered as I stood up to dump my tray. "We can just meet you guys at the rink." I looked at the others and they nodded in agreement.

"Cool, thanks Bails." he smiled. "Whenever you're ready to leave."

The guys and I waited outside the cafeteria for Carlos as he got rid of his trash.

"So, did you guys need anything on our way back?" I asked leaning against the wall.

"I guess just water." Logan shrugged.

"Yeah, that's about it." Kendall agreed.

"James?" I asked looking at him.

"Water is fine." he said smiling a little. "Thanks."

"I'm ready." Carlos said as he exited the cafeteria.

We said our goodbye's and headed to my car.

"Hey, would it be okay if we could stop by the pet store before or after we grab your things?" I asked as I reversed out of the parking stall.

"What did you need there?" he asked out of curiosity.

"Eh, nothing really. I just want to see the puppies they have there."

"You're planning on getting a puppy?"

"Possibly." I smiled. "I've been wanting one since Hopscotch passed."

I could feel my eyes welling up with tears at the thought of Hopscotch. I know some people would think it's ridiculous for me to cry over a dog, but he was my best friend since I was little. Even James got a bit emotional when Hopscotch passed. My dog was a big part of my life, of my family; if you can't understand that, then I feel sorry for you.

"Aw, Bails." Carlos pouted. "I know how badly you miss him."

I felt comfortable talking to Carlos about dogs, because he's a dog lover as well. I never feel embarrassed when I get worked up over an animal because there's a good possibility he'd feel the same way. "I really do." I sighed.

"We can get my stuff first, that way we can take our time at the pet store."

"Sounds good to me."

As we pulled up to his house, I could see his mom sitting outside on the porch.

"Hi, Bailey!" she greeted me as we walked up. "How have you been sweetie?"

"I've been great, Mrs. Garcia." I said as I kissed her cheek. "How have you been?"

"Oh, just fine darling!" she laughed as Carlos hugged her.

"Where's Papi?" he asked as he opened the door. "Is he still at work?"

"Yes, he still is. He won't be home until after 6PM."

"Okay. I just want to let you know that I'll be at Bailey's house till maybe 9PM."

"He's going to help me clean my room." I added.

"Are you two heading over there now?" she asked sipping her drink.

"Oh, no. We're heading over to the hockey rink." he said. "I just came by to pick up my stuff. Let's go, Bails."

"We'll see you in a bit, Mrs. Garcia." I smiled as I entered the house.

Carlos' room was indeed organized; there was a place for everything and everything in it's place. I walked over to his desk and sat down on the chair, there was no way I was going to sit on his bed, it was fixed and everything. I glanced down at his desk and there was a paper with writing on it. I looked closer and realized that they were lyrics.

"_He must be trying to write a song._" I thought as I picked up the paper. Carlos was a really great singer, although he didn't want to admit it or show anyone. He was even great at playing the guitar and piano. For some reason, he wanted to keep it on the down low.

"I was just doodling." he said behind me. I quickly turned around to look at him, almost falling off the chair. "I didn't mean to startle you." he laughed. "Sorry."

"It's okay." I laughed. "I was just in my own little world."

"Yeah, speaking of which, what happened during lunch? It really seemed like there was something bothering you."

"No, nothing was bothering me." I lied.

"Are you sure?" he asked concerned. "You weren't that way before you went to talk to James. Did you guys get into an argument? He seemed a bit distracted, too."

"No, we didn't get into a fight. Nothing happened, scout's honor."

"Okay, but I hope you know that I'm here for you if you need anything."

"Thanks." I smiled as I stood up. "Are you finished gathering your things?"

"Yes, ma'am." he smiled holding up his hockey gear. "Off to the pet store!"

We said goodbye to Mrs. Garcia and headed over to the pet store.

"So, about the song you were trying to write, what did you want it to be about?" I asked.

"I don't know." he shrugged. "I'm still trying to figure it out. I heard a love song is the easiest to write."

"Wouldn't you have to be in love, though?"

"What do you mean?"

"Wouldn't you have to be in love to actually write a love song? Songs are mainly based on the feelings of the person who's writing it." I explained. "Right?"

"Yeah, I totally agree with you." he said nodding.

There was a moment of silence. "So?"

"So...?"

"Are you in love with someone?" I asked.

"No comment?" he stuttered.

"Okay, maybe it isn't love yet. Do you strongly like someone?"

"No, it's definitely love."

"So, there is someone!" I exclaimed. "Who is it?"

He hit his forehead with his palm. "Crap." he mumbled.

We pulled up in the parking lot and I put the car on park. I looked at him and I could tell that he was blushing. "So..." I prompted. "Who's the lucky girl?"

"What makes you think it's a girl?"

I looked at him completely taken aback. I opened my mouth to say something, but nothing came out.

"Bails, I'm just joking!" he burst out laughing. "Dang! Breathe!"

I inhaled sharply and exhaled slowly; I didn't realize that I was holding my breath. "You scared me there for a moment." I laughed softly.

"As for your question," he continued. "I'll let her know when I get the chance. I'm still trying to figure out how to tell her."

"Can I give you some advice? If you say no, I'm still going to tell you."

"Advise away."

"Just let your heart do the talking." I said. "Even if your voice shakes, even if you stumble with your words; more than likely, she'll find it adorable."

"Do you find that adorable?" he asked looking at me.

"Yeah, I do. It shows that he really means what he says."

"But you girls like it when we express our feelings in a unique way, right? You know what I mean?"

"Oh sure, like how guys think of crafty ways to ask a girl to prom." I smiled. "Yeah, stuff like that would be even more amazing."

"Got it." he said nodding. "So, you ready to see some cute little puppies?"

"As ready as I'll ever be." I smiled. We got out of the car and walked towards the building.

"_I wonder who it is._" I thought, feeling a pang of jealousy. "_One thing's for sure, she is one lucky girl._"


	7. Chapter 7

_***Hey, guys! Sorry this chapter took long. Anyways, this is in Carlos' POV; I hope you like it! The next one will more than likely be in his POV again. = ] Have a good one!***_

**Chapter 7**

**Wish Upon a Carlos**

"_I don't know how I'm going to tell her._" I thought as we walked into Feathers & Fins. I looked at her and she smiled at me. I swear, my heart melts every time she smiles. It's such an amazing feeling. I could watch her smile all day.

"Oh my god!" she exclaimed, her face lighting up. "Look at that puppy!" She quickly ran over to the cage and bent down.

I couldn't help but to laugh inside. I've never seen a girl get so excited over a puppy. Don't get me wrong, I get excited as well, I'm just better at hiding it. Besides, I think it would be a weird sight to see a guy, like myself, jumping up and down over an animal. I'm just saying.

"It's a Welsh Corgi!" she grinned as she pet the puppy. "Isn't it the cutest thing you've ever seen?"

"It definitely is." I laughed as I bent down next to her. "Is it a boy or girl?" I looked at the underside of the puppy. "Congratulations! It's a boy!"

"Hi, my name is Amy. Did you lovely couple need any help?" an employee asked behind us.

Bailey and I quickly turned our heads to face her. "Oh, we're not a couple." I laughed awkwardly. "We're just friends."

"Oh, I'm so sorry." she apologized.

"It's okay." Bailey laughed. "No harm done. But, would it be fine if I pick him up?" She looked up at Amy with hopeful eyes.

"Oh, of course!" she laughed. "Go right ahead."

She picked up the puppy and held him close to her chest. I haven't seen her this happy since Hopscotch was here. Then again, she was this happy after she dumped that jerk, Brad. Asshole.

"You have that look in your eyes." I said.

"What look?"

"Your heart is dead set on getting him."

"Well," she hesitated. "I'm thinking about it. I just need to know how much he'll cost me."

"Oh, I can help you with that." Amy said. "Since he already received his shots and vaccinations, he'll cost roughly about $550."

"$550?" Bailey asked in disbelief. "Wow, that's a lot."

"I know," Amy said sadly. "I wish I could lower the price down for you but there's nothing I can do."

"I'm sure there's something _we_ can do." I said. "You know, to come up with the money."

"It's okay, Carlos." she said putting the puppy down. "Maybe it's just not my time to get a new dog."

"Sorry, again." Amy said as she turned around. "If you need help with anything else, please don't hesitate to ask."

"So, what did you want to do?" I asked as she left.

"I can't get him any time soon. I don't have that kind of money on me."

"How about your parents?"

"I don't want to ask them. They have other financial things to worry about." she pouted. "I think we should head out, the guys are probably wondering where we're at."

As we walked out of Feathers & Fins, she looked back and pouted. I could tell that she had fallen in love with that puppy. I felt a pang of sadness just looking at her expression. I could literally feel my heart breaking.

"_There must be something I could do._" I thought. "_I hate seeing her sad._"

We headed to a corner store to grab the water and some snacks and then made our way to the hockey rink. Approaching the building, we spotted Logan's car and Kendall's jeep in the parking lot.

"They must be inside already." she said as the car came to a stop.

Entering the rink, we could already hear the sound of skates scraping along the ice and the loud snap of a hockey stick hitting the puck.

"Dude, what was that for?" we heard James yell. "You totally did that on purpose!"

Kendall's laughter echoed throughout the rink. "What makes you think that?" We then heard the sound of bodies hitting the ice. As we turned the corner, we saw Kendall and James rolling around, supposedly fighting and Logan just standing there laughing, shaking his head.

"Oh, there you two are." Logan said looking up. "You missed the best part!" At the knowledge of our presence, Kendall and James stopped fighting and quickly got up.

"Where have you two been?" James asked skating over to us.

"Yeah, I'm parched." Kendall breathed. I threw him a bottle of water. "Thanks!"

"Can I have one, too?" Logan asked. I threw him one as well. "Thanks, man."

"We stopped by Feathers & Fins." Bailey sighed sitting down.

"What's wrong?" Kendall asked concerned. "You seem depressed."

"It's about Hopscotch, isn't it?" James pouted.

"Well, not only about that." she hesitated.

"She saw a Welsh Corgi there." I said. "She immediately fell in love with it."

"That's great!" Kendall exclaimed, throwing his hands up. "You should definitely get it."

"Trust me, I wanted to." she whined. "But he was expensive."

"How expensive?" Logan asked sipping his drink.

She looked up nodding at me to answer his question. "He was $550." I answered.

He choked on the water, coughing. "$550!"

"Yeah, he had all the shots and vaccinations that's why."

"I'm sorry to hear that, Bails." James said as he sat down next to her, putting his arm around her.

"It's okay." she smiled a little. "Like I told Carlos, maybe it's not my time to get a dog."

Five minutes later, I was out on the ice with the guys as Bailey watched from the stands. I loved being out here, it felt so amazing! I felt like a bird flying through the sky, free. I loved feeling the cold air hitting my face as I rushed the net. And let me tell you, the adrenaline is quite a rush itself. If I could stay here all day, I swear I would.

"Okay, so it's the shorties against the tallies." Kendall said skating over to James.

"You're going down!" Logan threatened. "Right Carlos?"

"Yeah!" I yelled throwing my fist up in the air.

"We'll see about that, short stuff." James teased. "Let's get it started."

"Be nice, boys!" Bailey yelled from the stands. "I don't tolerate bad sportsmanship!"

We gave a thumbs up to assure her that we heard her, but deep down she knew we weren't making any promises. It was James and I in the middle with the puck.

"Okay, since there isn't enough players, we're not going to have any goalies." Kendall explained.

"We know, we know." Logan whined. "Bleep blop boop, just get on with the game!"

"I'm not getting a friendly vibe here." he said.

"**I'M** getting anxious here!" I said, feeling the adrenaline kick in.

Kendall skated behind James, taking his position.

"Bails!" James yelled. "Would you like to do the honors?"

"Me?" she yelled back. "Why me?"

"Hurry up, Bails!" we screamed.

"Dang! I think _you_ guys are PMS-ing!" She pulled out a whistle from Logan's bag. I don't even know why he has a whistle, but the guy is always prepared. "Okay, one... two... three!" She blew the whistle and the game was on.

James and I were fighting for the possession of the puck while Logan and Kendall waited anxiously behind us. I managed to sneak the puck past his stick and made my way towards their net.

"Go Carlos, go!" I heard Logan yell behind me. "You're almost... whoa!" I looked back and saw Logan sliding across the ice on his back, Kendall following him. I searched for any sight of James, but couldn't find him. I immediately looked forward, only to find James charging at me. I quickly moved to my right, but he was even more quick to mimic my move. He snuck his way in and snatched the puck away from me.

"Damn it!" I said to myself, hitting my hockey stick against the ice. I turned around and rushed towards James.

"Go, Carlos! You can do it!" Bailey cheered from the stands. I looked over to her and she was jumping up and down.

"_I really wish I could make her happy._" I thought as I turned my attention back to the game. I suddenly stopped dead in my tracks as an idea came to me. "_Oh my god! How come I didn't think of this sooner!_" At that moment, everything went pitch black.

"Carlos?" I could hear Bailey say, but her voice was barely audible.

"I didn't mean to knock him out." Kendall said.

"Well, you did!" Logan exclaimed.

"This is the longest he's ever been out." James said, shaking his head. "Are you sure you didn't kill him?"

"No, I didn't!" Kendall whined. He hit his forehead with his right palm. "Give me a break, guys!"

"Stop yelling in my ears." I moaned. My head was pounding and my body was extremely sore. I tried to sit up but failed miserably.

"No, don't get up." she said as she rested her hand on my chest. "Wait until you're fully conscious."

"Dude, I'm so sorry." Kendall apologized as he knelt down next to me. "I didn't mean to knock you out."

"It's all good." I softly laughed. "It's a good thing I had this on." I reached up to knock on my helmet but didn't find it there. "Where's my helmet?"

"I have it." Logan said showing it to me. "I'll hold it till later on."

"What were you doing anyways?" James asked, raising his eyebrows. "You just stood there with a blank stare. It's like you were in your own world or something."

"I don't remember." I said slowly. I looked at the guys and then at Bailey; the sight of her triggered my memory.

"_That's right!_" I thought. "_I looked at Bailey and then started thinking about the puppy!_"

"Carlos, are you okay?" she laughed. "You have that silly smile of yours on."

"What?" I asked shaking my head, breaking from my thoughts. "What silly smile?"

"Oh, I know what smile she's talking about." Logan smiled pointing at me.

"Yeah, it's the smile that let's us know you're up to **NO** good." James chimed in.

"Say what?" I scoffed. "I can be up to** A LOT** of good, thank you very much." I slowly picked myself up, making sure I wasn't dizzy anymore.

"I think that's enough practice for us." Kendall said taking off his helmet. "We should probably head home."

The guys and I headed into the locker room to change while Bailey waited outside. Kendall turned the radio on and switched it to the 90's channel. They started dancing as they changed. I laughed and shook my head as I removed my gear, my thoughts going back to Bailey. "_I should have thought of this sooner._" I smiled. "_This is my best idea, yet!_"

"Hey, Carlos." Kendall said as he put his hand on my shoulder. "I hope you don't think that I did that on purpose."

"Honestly," I said looking at him. "It's okay. Besides, I know how competitive you get."

"You know me too well."

"Unfortunately."

"What's that supposed to mean?" he asked, looking offended. He took a step back and glared at me.

"Whatever Kendall." I laughed. "I thought James was the drama queen."

"I heard that!" James yelled from the other side. "Don't think I didn't hear that, Carlos!"

Kendall started laughing as he sat down on the bench behind me. "I know, man. I was just kidding. And just for your information, the tallies won."

"Congratulations." I sighed, sitting down next to him.

"Hey, we're going to head out." James said approaching us. "Are you coming?"

"In a minute." Kendall said. "I'm just making sure Carlos is _Carlos_."

"Okay, we'll meet you out there." Logan said as they walked out.

We waited for them to leave the room to resume our conversation. "Are you okay?" Kendall asked concerned.

"Sure, why wouldn't I be?"

"It just seems like you're walking on air." he looked at me with curiosity. "Or cloud nine."

"Is it that obvious?" I said, dodging looks around the room.

"Somewhat. So, who is it?"

"Who's what?"

"The person causing you to walk on cloud nine!" he exclaimed. "Hello, did we not just have this conversation?"

"I know I can trust you with anything, Kendall." I said. "But you have to promise me you won't tell James."

"But I can tell Logan?"

"Yeah, sure."

"Question, why is James the only one being left out of the loop?" he asked. Suddenly, his face lit up. "Oh! I get it! It's Bailey, isn't it?"

"How did you figure that out?" I asked in shock.

"It doesn't take a genius like Logan to figure it out, Carlos. So, what's going on with you and Bails?"

"I don't know. I mean, at times I think she likes me as_ MORE_ than a friend, but other times I think she just likes me as a friend, nothing more."

"Did you ever ask her?" he shrugged. "That's possibly the easiest way to find out."

"I've thought about it." I said running my fingers through my hair. "But what if she doesn't and then she freaks out."

"You'll never know until you try."

I gave him a hopeful look and smiled. All these thoughts running through my head is driving me insane! No wonder I never liked a girl so much; it's difficult. But for Bailey, it's different. I want to go through this wave of emotions until things fall into place. Hopefully, things lead to us being together.

"Look," he said as he patted his thigh. "How do you plan on showing you have feelings for her?"

"Well," I said biting my lip. "I'm planning on getting her the puppy."

"Carlos!" Kendall exclaimed.

"Wha, wha, what?"

"That's a great idea!"

"You think so, too?" I smiled. "I mean, of course it is!"

"You should definitely go with that idea." he smiled. "That should definitely do the trick. When are you planning on doing this?"

"Tomorrow."

"Well, if you need any help, just let me know. Okay?"

"Thanks man, I really appreciate it." I said as we shook hands.

He got up and left the locker room. "_I'm going to do this._" I thought as I stood up. "_I'm going to make her wish come true._"


End file.
